Survival KITT
by sky blue star
Summary: The team goes on vacation at a ski resort, which suddenly becomes the target of several threats and mysterious 'accidents'. Chapters 7 and 8 added. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Thanks to everyone who read & reviewed Knight S.T.A.R. : )

Survival K.I.T.T.

Knight Rider Beyond #2

_Knight Rider and its characters are the property of Glen A. Larson and Universal.  
The Beyond Series and its characters are mine.  
_  
Soundtrack - _Lucky You_ by lostprophets, _Long Way Down_ by Goo Goo Dolls, _Tomorrow_ by Avril Lavigne.

Thanks to Favourite for the name. I got it from one of your plotline challenges at the Foundation.

_

* * *

_

Chapter 1

The small staff gathered inside the main hall of the resort. Small talk could be heard as well as speculation.

"Why do you think she's called the meeting?"

"Beats me. I hope it's about our pay."

"You think?"

Amy O'Rourke made her way to the front of the small crowd. "Excuse me. Uh, excuse me."

One of the maintenance workers whistled. "Hey! Everybody listen up!" They finally had their attention. "All yours."

"Thanks, Griffin. Thanks everyone for coming. I also want to thank you all for all your hard work so far this year…"

"Hey, Am, that mean we're gonna get a raise this year?" Some of the workers laughed.

Her hands wrung around the paper she was carrying. "Well, no. That's kind of why I asked you all here. See, with my father's death and business being slow as it is this season…"

"What are you saying?"

"No one will be getting a raise this year, and we may end up having to let some of you go."

People began to talk amongst themselves. "What?" "I was counting on that raise." "What will happen to this place?"

Amy raised her hand. "Please. I'm sure if we tighten some strings, everything will be alright. We just have to make some sacrifices."

"Sacrifices?" said Pete, the janitor. "I spent fifty-two years workin' for your father and he never let things get this bad." Amy lowered her head.

Griffin put his hand on his shoulder. "Come on, Pete. I'll buy ya a drink." Pete grumbled and walked out.

"Well, that's all I really wanted to say. I'm sorry guys." She dismissed the staff and ended the meeting. Afterwards, several people offered her encouragement.

"I'm sure everything will be alright, Amy. You sent out those brochures last week. Maybe those will get people's attention."

"I hope you're right, Beth. If things don't improve soon…"

"Hey, Aunt Amy!" a younger man called.

"Yeah, Eric?" she asked, straightening up some chairs.

"I'm still going to get my raise, right?"

"Eric, I told you. You get treated and paid the same as everyone else."

"But I was counting on that money for a new set of wheels." Amy didn't appear to be listening. "Look, why don't you just let my dad buy the place like he wants?"

"Eric, your grandfather left this resort to me when he died. I'm not about to hand it over just like that."

"But Aunt Amy…"

Suddenly, shots were heard. Glass was sprayed and people ducked as the front windows of the resort were shot out.

_

* * *

_

Cara Knight watched as her brother worked under the modified silver Trans Am. "Come on, Jon. No one will mind if you take one afternoon off."

"Pshh. Bonnie would. She's got my workload backed up for the next two weeks." He pulled hard on something. A large branch fell into his hand. "You two been takin' short cuts again?" He threw it aside.

"Don't look at me. Star's the one with the built-in roadmap."

"Hey, don't look at me either. It was those _wonderful_ coordinates that Kitt sent me."

Jon shook his head and made some minor adjustments. "There. How's that feel?"

The car started. "Much better."

He got in. "Well, I better take you out for a test run just to make sure."

"Jon." Cara said.

"Look, baby girl, I'm sorry. I promise, we'll do something once I get some time off alright?" He took off for the test track.

Cara watched him drive off. She was the agent, and he was the mechanic, yet somehow he still got most of the work. She had begun to notice that her cases were nothing like Michael's. They involved corporate fraud, larceny, and the occasional drug bust. But nothing nearly as exciting as her father's old cases. She wondered if he was giving her a light workload on purpose.

She walked across the grounds of the Foundation in search of any form of entertainment. All she saw were the same people she saw everyday, doing what they were supposed to do be doing. She went up a small hill and saw the gardener on her left, and a black car on her right. She smiled and made her way over.

K.I.T.T. was running some new data into his memory banks, when he noticed Michael's daughter approaching. Without a word, she plopped down on his warm hood and sighed.

"Is something the matter, Cara?"

"Yeah. I'm bored."

"Did you read the list of literary suggestions I provided for you?"

"Uh-huh. Twice."

"Twice?" He thought a moment. "How about a game of virtual chess?"

_"_Star and I played virtual checkers all afternoon yesterday."

"I could read to you the life cycle of the long billed curlew. It's quite interesting."

Cara made a grunting noise, then sprawled across the hood and wide screen. "Uh! That's it. I've died of boredom."

Kitt noticed the gardener watching. "Cara, maybe you should get down."

"Can't. I'm dead." _'Come on, Kitt.'_ she thought._ 'Play along. Do something. I'm dying here.'_

He felt her hand gently squeeze a windshield wiper. Very well. He could humor the girl. "Are you sure about that?" he asked her.

"Yes. I've gone on to the great beyond." she replied, overdramatically.

"In that case, there's only one thing left to do." He started the turbine engine.

Cara instantly sat up. "Kitt! What are you doing?"

"Finding a proper place for a burial." He began to drive very slowly, but fast enough to amuse her.

She held on. "Kitt, that's not funny." she laughed. "Stop and let me down."

"I can't if you're deceased."

"Kitt!" They drove past the gardener, barely missing the flowers he was tending to.

"Watch it!"

"Sorry, Mr. Kovach!" Cara called behind her, holding on.

_

* * *

_

Michael stood on the steps of the Foundation for Law and Government, going through the day's mail.

_'First notice. Second notice. Final notice…'_ It looked like the special grant provided to FLAG from the government had arrived just in time. The last item caught his eye. It was a brochure of a ski resort. He flipped through it.

Michael then heard the sound of a vehicle approaching. He turned and saw Kitt pull up with Cara riding on his hood. She laughed as they came to a stop.

"You know, usually people ride_ in_ cars, not on them."

"I'm sorry, Michael." Kitt said. "But it appears your daughter has expired from boredom."

"That so?" He walked over and helped her down. "That's too bad. I think I have just the thing here that might have saved her."

"Really?" she asked. "What?" He put something in her hand. "Last month's water bill?"

"Oh sorry. Here."

Cara looked through the pamphlet. It was of a vacation spot. "Dusty's Peak. Ski Resort and Lodge."

"What do you say?"

She shrugged. "Sure. Why not? Might be fun. I've never gone skiing before."

"Great. I'll make the reservations and let Bonnie know we'll be taking Kitt with us and…"

"Now hold on. I fail to see where this will be a vacation for me. If the both of you want to spend time outside in freezing temperatures go ahead. I want no part of it."

"Come on, Kitt." said Cara. "I'm sure we can find something for you to do on our vacation."

Just then, Star pulled up. "Did someone say vacation? Can I come? My circuits could use some time off."

"Very well. I'll come along. Provided you'll do one thing."

"What's that, pal?"

"That you'll leave _her_ here." Michael and Cara both laughed.

_

* * *

_That's all I have written so far. Let me know what you think. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

That weekend, they made their way up to the resort, Michael in Kitt, and Cara following behind in Star.

Michael looked around as they approached. "I'm telling ya, Kitt. There's nothing like spending time in the mountains to make you appreciate nature's beauty."

"If you say so. Although, I still fail to see why we had to bring that talking silver bullet with us."

"Look at it this way, buddy. Doesn't hurt to have a spare."

"You must be joking."

Cara took in the view as well. "It's beautiful up here. Did you see the look on Jon's face when we told him where we were going?"

"Cara," said Star, "I've been doing some research of this so-called 'Dusty's Peak'."

"Oh yeah?"

"Top elevation, 10,087 feet. One of the highest points in this state. The early Native Americans in this area.."

"Star, we're on vacation."

"May I finish?"

"Sorry."

"As I was saying, the early Native Americans in this area used to refer to 'Dusty's Peak' as 'The Giver of Life'."

"That's an odd name to give a mountain. Why name it that?"

"No one knows. It's been a mystery for a long time."

"Well, maybe we'll find out while we're here." She and Michael soon came upon the property. There was a sign at the entrance with a slightly heavy set man with a cowboy hat, smiling and giving a thumb's up, the mountain behind him. They pulled up and parked in front of the main building.

They got out and began to unload their suitcases. A woman with short, curly, blond hair came outside to meet them. "Hi, I'm Amy O'Rourke."

The tall man turned and greeted her. "Michael Knight. This is my daughter, Cara. We spoke on the phone?"

"Oh yes. Nice to meet you both. Normally, I'd have another member of the staff here to greet you, but it's not everyday someone pays to stay the whole week."

"That brochure you sent out sold me. I bet you've got your hands full this time of year." He gave her a smile.

She was flustered. "Well, actually…"

Meanwhile, Eric and Griffin were about to go on their lunch break, when something caught the younger man's eye.

"Hey, Grif." Eric said. "Check it out." He motioned towards the pretty redhead with blue eyes that had just pulled up. "And you said there weren't going to be any snow bunnies this year."

"Ah, forget it, Eric. Look at that chain around her neck. Girl like that's probably too high class for you."

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that." He made his way over. "Hey Aunt Amy. You gonna introduce me?"

"I suppose." she joked. "This is my nephew, Eric O'Rourke. Eric, this is Mr. Knight," they shook hands, "and his daughter, Cara."

"Hi."

"Hi." Cara said back, politely.

"They will be staying with us for the week, so I want you to be extra nice to them, understand."

He smiled at the girl. "Not a problem." Kitt felt a twinge of annoyance in his systems.

"I better get the rest of our things." Cara said, walking back over to Star.

"Of course." said Amy. "Eric why don't you help her while I take Mr. Knight inside to finish the paperwork? Show her where they'll be staying."

"Sure thing."

"Oh, and Eric?" She threw him a set of keys.

"Yeah?"

"Behave yourself." Michael smiled and followed behind her.

Eric walked over to Cara. "So, is this your first time skiing?"

"Yeah. I grew up back East, but I've never been to a ski resort before."

"Don't sweat it. I can give you some lessons if you need to learn how."

"Have you been skiing long?"

"Almost as long as I could walk. It's a cinch once you know how. I just started to give lessons. Just until I can pay back some loans and save up to buy a new car. My dad has his own dealership."

"Really?" She pulled out another suitcase.

"Yeah." he said, trying to impress her. "He says he'll give me a good deal when I got enough cash. Gonna be flashy too. Like a BMW."

"Sounds nice."

"Now take these Trans Ams for instance. Sure, they look nice for their age, but they're just tricked out gas guzzlers."

"Uh-huh." Cara said. _'Gas guzzlers? Kitt and Star aren't going to like that.'_ And they didn't. "Could you get the rest of my father's things from his car?"

"Sure." Eric walked over to the black car with its trunk opened. "Now, like I was saying, I…" The trunk slammed shut as he approached. He tried to open it. "Like I was….It's locked."

Cara shut Star's trunk. "Here, I've got it." She walked over and opened it, but it shut as Eric tried to reach in again.

"Must be something wrong with your release mechanism. I can get you a good deal on a trade in if you want."

Cara could swear she heard Kitt's frustrated growl. "Uh, actually, my dad and I are very happy with our cars. But I will take you up on those skiing lessons."

"That's…great…" Eric grunted, trying the best he could to open the trunk. "But…if you ever…do want a new….Man!"

"Here, maybe the problem's up front." She opened the cabin. "Kitt, what are you doing?" she whispered.

"He needs to be taught a few manners. And why would you take skiing instructions from someone like that anyway?"

"Because I don't know how?"

"Uh, a little help here?" Eric groaned.

"Come on, Kitt. Cut him a break. He doesn't know any better." He was silent. "Besides, guys in BMWs don't impress me."

The A.I. pressed a button, and the trunk opened, causing Eric to step back. "Very well. As long as he behaves himself."

"Thank you."

"Gas guzzlers indeed."

Cara closed the door. "We all set?"

"Yup. It's right over there. Cabin 5." They made the short walk over. As they got closer, Cara saw that there was glass on the porch. Eric noticed it too. "Oh no." They ran up. He quickly unlocked the door and they stepped inside.

The place was completely trashed.

* * *

Michael and Amy made their way up to the main building. "Great scenery you got here." Michael said. "But if you don't mind my saying, things look kinda slow." 

"Some years are better than others. Business took a real tumble when my father died two years ago. That's him on the sign back there."

"Sorry to hear that."

"Thanks. Don't worry. There's at least two other families that'll be staying here with you." She opened the door to the main hall.

Michael instantly noticed the sheet over the windows and some of the glass that was still on the floor. "What happened here?"

"Oh that. Yeah. Someone caught us off guard. Probably some drunk hunter from town."

"Why would he bother you?"

"Don't really know. A lot of people have been angry with me lately. Since business has been bad, I've had to let some of my staff go." She stopped when she noticed Michael paying attention. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't bother you with my problems."

"That's alright. Hey, if you need help finding out who did it…"

"Thank you, Mr. Knight, but…"

"Michael."

"Michael. I'm sure it was just an isolated incident. You and your daughter just enjoy your vacation." She walked behind the main desk.

"We will." He looked over the forms and signed them. "Everything looks okay. Here ya go."

"Thanks." Amy said, smiling at him. "So…Michael. What do you do for a living?"

"Well, I uh…"

Suddenly Cara ran into the main hall. "Dad, come quick!" Michael and Amy both followed her back to the cabin.

They stepped inside. Furniture was over turned. Small vases and glasses were broken. Food was splattered.

"Who would do this?" Amy asked.

"I know who." said Eric. "It was Pete."

"Whose Pete?" asked Michael.

"Our head janitor. But he'd never do something like this."

"Oh no?" Eric said. "He was the last one in here, wasn't he? He was the only one outside before the shots went off in the hall."

"Eric please. That's enough." Amy turned to Cara and Michael. "I'm sorry about this. I want to make it up to you. How about I let you both stay in our best cabin? No extra charge."

"Oh, that isn't necessary."

"It's got extra parking for your vehicles, so they don't have to stay in the parking lot."

At that moment, both comlinks beeped. "We'll take it." Michael said. "Just as long as you let us help you clean this up."

"It's a deal." They began to straighten things around.

Cara had the feeling they were being watched. She turned and saw the man who had been with Eric earlier, looking on from the bottom of the porch.

He noticed her…and walked away.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Later that night, Michael and Cara decided to have dinner at the resort's small restaurant. A waitress brought them their menus.

"It all sounds good." said Michael. "I think I'll have a cheeseburger with everything."

"What's the daily special?" asked Cara.

"Amy's world famous beef stew. One bowl, and you won't be hungry again until breakfast."

"I'll have that then."

"You know what? Make it two." Michael handed the menus back to her and she left to get their orders. "So, what do you think of our vacation so far?"

"Pretty nice, other than finding our cabin ransacked."

"Yeah. I've been thinking about that as well. Amy said she's been having some trouble up here. Better keep a look out for anything suspicious."

"Right." She glanced out the window.

"You alright?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I have a feeling something else has been on your mind lately."

"Actually, there _is_ something I've been wanting to talk to you about." Cara bit her lip.

"I'm all ears."

"It's about the assignments I've been getting lately."

"Yeah?"

"Well, Michael. It's mostly bureaucratic stuff and paperwork."

"Which is part of the Foundation's purpose."

"Yes, but _my_ purpose is to be out there in the field with Star, brining down the criminals when the system can't. I think it's time we took on the kind of cases you and Kitt had."

"I don't think you're quite ready yet."

"Devon thought I was ready. He believed in me. Why can't you?"

"Cara," Michael said, calmly, "you _know_ I believe in you as much as Devon did. Probably more. But, you just don't have enough experience yet. Hey, the world is a much different place than it was when I was an operative."

"Not that much different, Dad. There's still innocent people out there in need of help. How can I give them that when I'm stuck behind a desk and on those kind of cases most of the time?" She saw the look on Michael's face. "What is it?"

"Ya know, sitting here, watching you, listening to you say that…reminds me of some of the things I would have said to Devon."

"I miss him."

"So do I." He reached over and took her hand. "Okay, look. I'll see what I can do about changing your workload when we get back to the Foundation. But you're going to have to be patient, alright?"

"Okay."

At that moment, a man in a suit with a cowboy hat walked into the restaurant. "All right. Where is she? Where's that sister of mine?"

Amy came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. "Jerry? What do you want?"

"Word's goin' around you've been havin' some problems with the place. It ain't too late to sell it to me like Pa should have done."

"Thanks, Jerry. But I'm sure I can handle it."

"That why the bank's been on your case?"

"I'm sure _you_ had something to do with that. And I'm not selling. I already did you one favor by letting your son work here. Now, if you don't mind, I have customers to feed."

Jerry grabbed her arm. "Now look here, Amy…"

"Michael?" Cara said, looking on.

"I'll handle it." He got up.

"But…"

"Just stay here. I'll be right back." He walked over to them. "Is there a problem?"

Jerry let go of Amy's arm. "No. No problem."

"Really? Because it didn't look like that from where I was sitting."

"What business is it of yours, mister?"

"I'm just a concerned vacationer, making sure no harm comes to his hostess."

"That so? Well, let me tell you something, buddy, I…"

"Jerry, please." said Amy. "Mr. Knight has paid to stay here for the rest of the week. Try to show him _some_ hospitality while he's here."

Jerry looked Michael up and down. "Rest of the week, huh? That's pretty rare considerin' all the incidents up here."

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about those _incidents_, would ya?" Michael asked him.

"Just what's been goin' around town. Thought my sister would let me take care of it by takin' it off her hands."

"Well, clearly she's not interested, so why don't you let her get back to work?"

Jerry backed up. "Alright. Alright. But you just keep in mind what I said, Amy, You can't keep this place open for long by yourself." He then spoke to the man behind him. "Come on, Pete. I believe you said you were going to show me that trail? Oh, and Mr. Knight, I _truly_ hope you and your lady friend _enjoy_ your vacation." he said, sarcastically. "Amy, Miss." He tipped his hat to both women and left for his small limo with Pete following after.

Amy hugged Michael. "Oh! You sure showed him! No one's ever stood up to Jerry before besides our father. How can I thank you?"

"Ah, don't mention it. We're just looking forward to that beef stew of yours."

"Oh, of course. Coming right up." Amy hurried back into the kitchen. Michael looked outside at Pete and noticed the dirty look he gave him before he and Jerry took off.

He then went and sat back down across from Cara. "So, where were we?"

"That was great. The way you helped her."

"Huh?" The waitress brought out their food. "Thanks. Well, it's like you said. There's people out there who need us, right?" She smiled as he gobbled down a big spoonful and dug in.

* * *

Jerry's limo came to a stop near a small wooded area at the bottom of the mountain. "There it is." said Pete. "That's the trail me an' your father used to take." 

"Do many people know about this trail?"

"Just me and your pa as far as I know. Why are you so interested?"

Jerry got a contented smile on his face. "Oh just curious. Come on. We better head back. I got a few calls to make."

* * *

Much later that night, all was quiet. An older couple laid fast asleep in one of the guest cabins. 

A lone figure crept alongside the building, staying out of sight. He then stood back and threw a brick through the window of the bedroom, barely missing the couple.

A woman screamed, and the figure disappeared.

* * *

"Let me get this straight." Star said to Kitt the next day. "Humans pay good money to trek through the cold, up a hill, only to slide back down on two thin pieces of wood. They then go back up to repeat the process, and it's all for fun?" 

"Mystifying, isn't it?"

"Very." She was still trying to figure out this strange human logic, when a man with a snow blower walked by, spraying her side with dirt and snow.

"Excuse me."

The man stopped and looked around, only seeing a car. He shrugged and went back to work, almost spraying her again.

"How rude."

"You could always micro jam the machine." Kitt reminded her.

Star tapped into the snow blower's engine, increasing it's speed. The man ran after it. "Hey, come back!"

Cara walked over. "Star, that's enough. Kitt, you shouldn't trick her like that."

"Why not? You and Michael told me to find some sort of amusement for myself."

They went quiet when they heard raised voices. "Please, Mr. Pearson. Won't you reconsider staying at least until Thursday?"

"Miss O'Rourke, _this_ was thrown into our room last night."

Michael came up from behind Amy. "Here. Let me see that." It was a brick with a paper wrapped around it. He read the note. "Get out."

"And you can be sure we will, and we _won't_ be coming back."

"Mr. Pearson, please." Amy pleaded, but the couple got into their car. "Damn."

"Still no idea who's behind this?" Michael asked her.

"No. None. I don't understand. I mean, why us? Why my father's resort?"

"You know, I can still help you find out."

"I already know who." Eric said, joining them.

"Who?"

"Pete Higley."

"Eric," said Amy, "we don't know that."

"Look at that brick, Mr. Knight. Mr. Higley's been using that very type of brick to build a new fireplace in his house."

Michael inspected it. "Really? Maybe I should keep an eye on him."

"Want some help?" asked Eric.

"Uh, no thanks. I work alone."

"Work alone? Are you a cop?"

"Eric, don't you have some shoveling to get back to?" his aunt asked.

"Alright. I'm going."

Amy leaned in closer to Michael. "I'm sorry about that. He's just curious about our guests."

"That's okay. He seems like a good kid."

Eric soon made his way over to Cara. "Hey there. Are we still on for those skiing lessons?"

"Sure. Whenever you're ready."

"Great. I'll pick you up at eight tonight."

"Okay, I'll see you then." They smiled at each other and he walked away.

"Hmmph." Kitt said, once Eric was out of earshot.

"What?"

"Can't you see what that young man's up to?"

"What do you mean? He's only giving me lessons on how to ski."

"If you insist." he said, going quiet. Kitt didn't understand why it bothered him that Cara was going out that evening, but it did. What if she became closer to Eric? He instantly ignored that thought. What his new partner did in her personal life was none of his business.

Cara was puzzled by his sudden silence, but didn't let it bother her. She patted his hood and went over to lean against Star, enjoying the view.

Meanwhile, the other family staying at the resort was nearby, trying to enjoy a vacation of their own. "Really, Dennis." the wife said to her husband. "Why couldn't we go somewhere warmer like Hawaii or Mexico?"

"Do you know what air travel is like to those places this time of year? Besides, it's beautiful up here."

"It would have been beautiful in the Hamptons."

"Oh yes, and we'd also be staying with your mother."

Their young daughter pulled on her mother's jacket. "Mommy, my feet are tired."

She bent and picked her up. "Here, honey." She sat her down on a seat of a nearby ski lift. "Sit here for a while." She then went back to bickering with her husband.

No one saw a man unlock the box to the controls. He turned the lift on, cut a wire, and closed the box again, leaving before he was noticed.

The girl looked down and kicked her feet when the seat began move up the hill. The gap between the seat and the ground grew. Her parents didn't see her go higher and higher. Soon, the lift came to a stop leaving the child in midair, and she wanted down.

"Mommy! Daddy!"

Her parents looked around and then saw her. "Shelia? Oh no! Shelia!"

Kitt suddenly observed what was going on. He sent a signal to both comlinks. "Michael. Cara. There's a small child stuck high on that ski lift."

Michael and Amy turned. "Oh my God!" Amy said. "How'd she get up there?"

"Kitt, can you bring her down?"

"No. It's some kind of mechanical failure."

Cara saw what was happening and jumped inside of Star. She drove up the hill.

"Cara, I'm not sure my tires have enough traction for this slope." They stopped when they were directly under the seat.

Cara pressed the C button, sending the Trans Am's roof into convertible mode. "Okay, Star. I need you to shoot me up about…70 feet." Cara put her hands into the air. Star activated the seat ejector, and Cara was sent into the air, grabbing onto a bar at the bottom of the seat.

By now, a small crowd had gathered, looking on. "What does she think she's doing?" "I've never seen anything like that." Michael looked on as well, worried.

Cara was at last able to pull herself up onto the seat. "Hey." she panted. "What's your name?"

"Sheila."

"Sheila? Hi, I'm Cara. What do you say we get down from here, okay?" The girl nodded and Cara took her into her arms. She was about to slide off when she looked down and saw how far it was. She paused. The crowd started to get concerned.

Michael inched over to Kitt. "What's wrong? Why'd she stop?"

Kitt evaluated the situation and Cara's vitals. _'She's frightened.' _He transferred his voice internally, so Michael wouldn't hear. "Cara?"

"Kitt?"

"Yes. Listen to me. You have to calm yourself down, for the child's sake."

"I can't. I…"

"Cara," Star called. "I can't stay in this position much longer. My traction." Cara held on tighter to the rail.

Kitt tried again. "Cara, just take a moment for yourself, then slide off the seat. Star will catch you."

She took a deep breath and inched towards the edge. "Slide off the seat?"

"Yes." Kitt said. "Trust each other."

Cara looked back and over to him, watching the scanner. She nodded. "Okay. Here we go, Sheila. Hang on!" People gasped as Cara slid off the seat and dropped. Both landed safely in Star's driver seat. They then drove back down.

The girl's mother was the first to greet them. "Sheila, baby. Oh, thank God! Thank you so much, young lady."

"You're welcome."

"Mommy! Mommy!" Sheila said as her mother carried her off. "Did you see me? That was fun. Can I go again?"

Cara didn't even _want_ to think about going back up there. "Thank you, Kitt." she whispered into her watch. His scanner flashed quietly.

"I don't know how this could have happened." said Amy. "That lift's been working fine for the past ten years."

"Mind if I look?" Michael asked. Amy led him to the control panel, which was locked. "Don't worry. I got it. Kitt?" He placed his comlink near the lock and a second later it opened. "Give me a run down on what happened, will ya, pal?"

Kitt performed a quick scan. "One of the wires has been cut, Michael. And it certainly wasn't broken into."

"Who was that?" asked Amy.

"A friend." said Michael. "How many people have a key to this box?"

"Only…one. Pete."

"Now what?" the janitor said, coming up from behind them.

"You did this, didn't you?" Amy accused. "Just because your pay's lower this year. How could you do this to my father's business, after all he's done for you?"

"Now look here. Ever since this place has been vandalized, everyone thinks _I_ did it. Now, I may not like the new management, but I have enough respect for your father not to tear the place apart."

"Then how do you explain that brick that was found last night?"

"Someone must have found it on my property."

"And this?" asked Michael, holding the cut wire.

"Don't know anything about that. I shut it off and went for a smoke."

"Which is also against staff policy." Amy sighed. "Pete, I hate to say this but you're fired."

His eyes narrowed. "Oh, so that's the way it works, huh? Sweat and bleed on this mountain for fifty-two years, and _this_ is how I get thanked? Fine. I'll get my camping gear from my place on the mountain first thing tomorrow morning, and I'm outta here. Resort's dead anyway." he mumbled as he stormed off.

Michael put a hand on Amy's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just never thought Pete would do something like this to us after all this time."

"I'll keep an eye on him. Hey, how about we get some lunch. I'm buyin'."

"Sure."

"Cara?"

"I'll be there in a minute, Dad." They left as she inspected the box further. She saw Griffin nearby again. Unaware he was being watched, he placed a key into his back pocket and walked away again. Cara had a feeling this case wasn't as open and closed as the others thought.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The skier moved from side to side down the small training course, going this way and that, using the techniques she had been taught. Soon, she was at the bottom.

Eric clapped his hands. "I think you're getting the hang of it."

Cara pulled off her helmet. "Yeah, after falling on my ass half a dozen times." Her rear end was still hurting from the last fall. "I think that's enough for one day." They returned their gear to the rental counter and started to make their way back to the guest quarters.

"You know," said Eric, "those were some moves you did out there today."

"I'm just a beginner."

"No, I mean when you saved Sheila today."

"Oh."

"Where'd you learn to do that?"

"Uh, from someone. A long time ago." Cara said, nervously.

"Griffin and I were really impressed."

"Griffin?" she asked. "Was that the man you were with when we got here?"

"Yeah."

"How long has he been working here?"

"About ten years now. He's Pete's right hand man. Wait…you don't think Griffin's been behind all this, do you?"

"I've seen him lurking around after our cabin was vandalized, and when the ski lift was damaged."

"Griffin Thompson wouldn't do anything to sabotage the resort. He's like an uncle to me. He loves this place as much my grandpa did."

She saw that Eric was beginning to get upset. He wouldn't be much help on getting any information about Griffin if he was angry. "Okay. I was just wondering. Maybe it was just a coincidence."

Eric smiled. "It's okay. Hey, I know how you can make it up to me."

"How?"

"Let me take you out to dinner. I'd like to get to know you better."

"Oh, I…um…"

Eric stopped walking. "What?"

Cara gulped. "Eric, you're a really nice guy but…"

"I'm not your type?"

"No. It's just…." She sighed. "I just got out of a really bad relationship."

"How bad?"

"Really bad." Cara looked away from him. Alex Harrison still haunted her nightmares.

"Is he the one who gave you that?" Eric reached out and took the quarter-sized star pendant into his hand. Cara nodded. "It's pretty. So are you." He reached up to touch her cheek. She almost flinched, remembering the hard slap Alex had given her. Eric shook his head.

"The guy must have been a real jerk. I'm sorry. You don't deserve a guy like that. Take all the time you need."

"Thanks." she said, relieved to be going back.

* * *

Michael had just finished putting wood into the cabin's fireplace, when there was a knock. He got up and went to the door. "Amy." 

"Hello, Michael." She was carrying a tray. "I thought I'd come over and drop these brownies off. My way of thanking Cara for saving the Hamlin's daughter this afternoon."

"Oh, here. Come on in." He closed the door behind her. "Cara's still out with Eric, but they should be back soon."

"Is it okay if I wait?"

"Sure." Michael snatched a brownie off the tray. "These are good. Can I get you anything?"

Amy shook her head, and put some more wood into the fire as Michael got a glass of water. "I should thank you too, Michael. For the way you stood up to Jerry yesterday."

"No need to."

"Jerry's never been one to take no for an answer."

"How long has he been on your case to give up the resort?" He brought over a glass for her.

"Ever since Dad died. Thanks." she said, taking it from him. "It's funny."

"What?"

"My brother's never shown an interest inthis place until my father's death. He couldn't have cared less about him _or_ this land, and _now_ he's interested."

"You're right. You know, Pete was with Jerry yesterday. What trail was he going to show him?"

"Oh, that? He meant the trail he and my father used to take up Dusty's Peak. Pete still has some of his camping equipment up there."

"And Jerry didn't know about it?"

"Not very many people do. Why?"

"If it's okay with you," said Michael, "I'd like to follow him up there. Just to make sure Pete doesn't cause any more problems before he leaves.

"Alright." Amy looked at him. "You know, Michael, this is the first time I've felt safe since my father passed away. Promise you'll be careful."

"I promise." He reached over and took her hand. They put their arms around each other and began to kiss.

Cara and Eric opened the door and walked in. "Dad?"

"Aunt Amy?"

Michael and Amy looked over and stood up, straightening their clothes. "Ah, what are you two doing back already?"

"It was getting late." said Cara. "So we…decided to head back."

Eric smirked at his aunt. "And you tell _me_ not to come on to the guests."

"Ahem. Well, I suppose it's time we started to head back, too. Cara, I've made you some brownies. I left them over there. Thanks again for saving Sheila today."

"You're welcome, Miss O'Rourke."

"So." She turned to Michael and shook his hand. "Goodnight?"

"Goodnight." Eric and Cara said good-bye as well, and Michael shut the door. "Cara, I can explain."

"You don't have to, Dad. It's alright."

"It doesn't change how I felt about your mother, or how I feel about you."

"I know. My mother would have wanted you to move on, Michael. She wouldn't want you to mourn her forever."

Michael glanced down. "Truth is, I still do. Everyday. Even when I was with Stevie…I still miss her." He looked up at her. "But Diane gave me one hell of a gift to remember her by." He walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "I was really proud of the way you handled yourself today."

"Thanks. But proud enough to give me harder cases?"

"Don't push it." Michael placed a kiss on her forehead and ruffled her hair. "I'm going to bed."

"Okay. I'm just going to stay up and read for a while."

"Not too long, alright?"

"Alright. Night, Dad."

"Night, sweetheart." He hugged her and headed off to his bedroom.

Cara looked around the living room and realized she had left her book on Star's passenger seat. She put her jacket on and headed outside.

As she shut the door, she noticed Griffin nearby. He was loading something into his truck and making sure no one was around. Cara pretended not to be interested as he got in. She walked over to Star and opened the driver's side.

"And _where_ do you think _you're_ going at this late hour?" asked the black car next to her.

"Just for a drive."

"At this time of night with a maniac on the loose? I think not."

"Please, Kitt? Just for an hour?"

He considered it. "All right. _Half an hour_. And I'm coming to look for you if you've not returned by then."

"Half and hour. Got it. Thanks, Kitt." She hopped inside of Star and followed Griffin's truck out of the parking lot, putting some distance between them.

* * *

They followed Griffin in silent mode. "Why are we following this man?" asked Star. 

"I think he knows something about the incidents back at the resort. Let's see if he's up to anything."

Griffin pulled onto an off road campsite near the trail. Cara pulled up quietly, out of sight. They watched as he got out and waited. Then, a small blue car pulled up and a young man got out.

"That's Eric."

"Star, can you use your audio recorder?"

"At this distance?"

"Just try it. I want to know what they're saying." Star rolled closer and transmitted the conversation.

"Were you followed?" asked Griffin.

"No. You?"

"Huh-uh. That damn girl got in the way. Would have had the other family runnin' scared it weren't for her."

"So what do we do now?" asked Eric.

"Don't worry. We've got something really _big_ planned for tomorrow. Amy won't have a choice _but_ to sell. Just make sure you're here at sun up, got it?"

"Got it." Both men got into their vehicles and drove away in different directions.

"Did you get all that, Star?"

"Yes, I did. What do you think they've got planned?"

"I don't know," said Cara, "but it can't be good. Star, I want you to do background checks on Eric O'Rourke and a Mr. Griffin Thompson. See if that will give us any clues as to what they're up to."

"It could take a while. Shouldn't we tell Michael?"

She thought about it. "No. He's fast asleep by now. We'll tell him first thing in the morning. Just check to see if you can find anything."

"Yes, Cara."

They pulled up in front of the cabin and Cara got out. "Kitt?"

"Aww. He's powered down."

"Shh. Don't wake him." Cara walked over and cleared some of the snow from him, then patted his hood. "Night, Kitt." He awoke for a brief moment to see her make it inside, then powered back down.

Cara sat in front of the fireplace. She would tell Michael all she had learned when she first say him. She yawned. _'Well, maybe a quick nap wouldn't hurt.'_ She sat down on the couch and closed her eyes.

* * *

Early the next day, Eric met Griffin and another man at the campsite. "Well all ready?" 

"Ready." said Griffin. "Now we just gotta make it up the trail near the top."

"You still haven't told me what we're going to do."

"Don't worry. You'll know soon. So will everyone else back there." Griffin turned and pulled the cover off the box in his truck. The letters on the box read _T N T_.

* * *

Michael got dressed and made his way into the small kitchen of the cabin. He poured himself a cup of coffee and noticed his daughter sleeping on the couch. He walked over. 

"Cara?" She was fast asleep. Michael had her lay back against a pillow and covered her with a blanket. He kissed the top of her head. "See you when I get back, sweetheart." He exited the cabin quietly.

Once outside, he noticed Pete Higley getting in his car. Michael got inside of Kitt. "Okay, pal. Let's follow him."

* * *

_She was standing at the bottom of a mountain. A large roar was heard. She turned and saw her father duck as a large wave of white came towards them._

_"Dad!" she screamed as they were covered._

_

* * *

_

Cara instantly sat up. What a nightmare. Thank goodness she and her father were…. "Dad?"

There was no answer. She looked around the cabin. "Dad?" She even checked his bedroom. "Michael?" She saw that his jacket was gone. She grabbed her own and ran outside.

Cara noticed Kitt was gone as well. "Star, do you know which way Michael and Kitt went?"

She used her long range tracking scope. "It looks as though they're headed for Dusty's Peak."

"Oh no." Cara jumped in. "We've got to stop them." They took off for the mountain.

Michael pulled up near the campsite, where there were other vehicles besides Pete's.

"It looks like we're not the only ones here." said Kitt.

"Yeah, but Amy said not many people knew about this trail. Okay. I'm going to check it out. Keep your scanners peeled, will ya?"

"Of course, Michael."

Michael slowly made his way onto the trail and started to make his way up to the small plateau of the mountainside.

Cara pulled up shortly after and got out. "Kitt, where's Michael?"

"Cara, what are you doing here?"

"Never mind. Where is he?"

"He's already on the trail." He watched as she started to hike up. "Where are you going?"

"To find Michael."

"I'm coming with you." Kitt followed behind her.

Griffin was unloading the explosives when he saw someone coming from down below. "Boss, we got company."

"Who?" Jerry looked down and saw Michael. "Him again? Get rid of him."

"Right."

"Dad, do we really have to do it this way?" asked Eric. "It just doesn't seem right."

"Look, Eric. Once we get our hands on this mountain, we'll be set for life. You want that new car don't ya?"

"Well…yeah, but…"

"_Don't_ ya?"

"Yeah, Pop."

"Good. Now go help Griffin set off the explosives." Both men hurried and soon they were detonated.

Kitt's surveillance system suddenly took notice. "Cara, there's some sort of disturbance a few miles ahead."

"What is it?"

His monitors showed snow coming from the top of the mountain. "It's an avalanche."

"What?" Cara called up to her father. "Michael! Look out!"

He turned around. "Cara? What the…?"

"_Avalanche!_"

Michael looked up and saw it coming towards him. He was able to make it out of the way and near some trees.

"Can we outrun it?" Cara asked Kitt.

"We don't have time." He surveyed the area. "Cara, that opening over there. Hurry!" They went as fast as they could, and made it under a small ledge as the avalanche came towards them.

"Cara! Kitt!" Michael clung to the tree, watching helplessly as they were buried alive…


	5. Chapter 5

_AN: Thanks everyone for the reviews so far. And to Storm and Phoenix for supporting me and making me laugh through my writer's block. I also went back and added a couple of songs to the soundtrack._

* * *

Chapter 5

Eric looked on in shock as the avalanche finally came to a stop. "I can't believe it."

"Yeah. Neither can I." said Griffin. "It completely missed the resort."

"No. Cara."

"Who?" asked Jerry.

"Mr. Knight's daughter. The girl I went out with last night. Didn't you see it? She and her car got caught in the avalanche."

"Yeah, that she did, didn't she? Oh well," Jerry shrugged, "one less snoop to worry about. We better try somewhere closer, Griff."

Eric caught his father by the arm. "So we're just gonna leave her down there?"

"Don't worry, Eric. There'll be others. What's more important is getting your aunt to give up the resort."

"That's all you ever care about, isn't it? Money."

Jerry tugged his arm away. "Look, I ain't got time to argue. Time's a wastin'." He turned back to Griffin and they went over a map, looking for a place to set off another explosive.

Eric began to back away. _'I've got to go get help.'_ He quietly walked away in another direction, hoping he'd get away without his father or Griffin noticing.

Jerry continued to study the map. "Now, what we'll do is…Eric?" They looked around. "Eric? Where'd you go, son?"

"He's gone." said Griffin. "I'll bet he'll rat on us. That no good…"

"Naw. He's gone off to see about that girl. I'll take care of Knight and Higley. You find that boy and talk some sense into him."

Griffin nodded.

* * *

Michael slowly began to make his way back down to the bottom of the trail. He had tried to crawl to where he had seen the others buried, but there was just too much snow in the way. Every now and then, he'd talk into his comlink. 

"Cara? Can you hear me? Come on, sweetie. Answer me. Kitt? Partner? I know you're there."

No answer came.

"Can either of you hear me?"

"I can hear you, Michael." came a female voice.

"Star? Star, where are you?"

"Down in the small parking area, Michael. At the bottom of the trail." It wasn't long until Michael was able to make it down and over to the silver Pontiac. "Michael, are you alright?"

"I'm alright. It's Cara and Kitt I'm worried about. Can you get in touch with them?"

"I'll do my best." She tried contacting Kitt over the private carrier frequency, then tried gaining access to Cara's comlink. Shaky wavelengths appeared on her monitor. "I can't seem to communicate with either of them. And they're too deep for me to locate."

Michael smacked the gullwing in frustration. "Great. What do we do now?"

* * *

It was quiet. Eerily quiet. Cara took her hands away from her head and looked up. "Kitt, is it over?" 

"Yes, Cara. The avalanche seems to have stopped." He turned on his headlights. "The visibility in here is only a few feet."

"Where's Michael and Star? Are they alright?"

"They were still outside when we got trapped in here." Kitt did a quick scan. "There's too much interference. I've lost communication with Star. I doubt I can contact her or anyone else under all this debris."

"So a distress signal would be useless." She got up and looked around. It looked like they were in some kind of cavern. "Can't we turbo boost out of here?"

"We could, but it might cause another avalanche, possibly further endangering those at the resort…as well as Star and Michael."

"If they're still out there." Cara said to herself.

"Buck up. I'm sure they're fine. You have plenty of oxygen and provisions. Let's just wait patiently until help arrives."

She shrugged. "Guess you're right." She started to make her way over to him when another rumble was heard, and small rocks and dirt began to fall. "Whoa." Then, it was quiet again.

"On second thought…" Kitt said, "maybe we should look for another way out of here before we get crushed." He began to roll forward, inside the cavern. "Stay close to me."

"Right." she said, walking alongside him.

* * *

Michael was still trying to contact them from inside Star, when he heard the sound of someone approaching. "Need some help?" Michael looked up and saw it was Pete. 

"Pete?" He got out of the car. "Yes! My daughter and my friend were caught in the avalanche."

"I saw. It was a dandy."

At that moment, they saw Jerry struggling to make it down the trail. "Can I get some help over here?" Pete and Michael ran over and helped him down the rest of the way. "Thanks. Can you believe it? I was up there with Griffin Thompson and my son when…"

"Wait." said Pete. "What were you doin' up there in the first place?" He looked at both of them. "What were _any _of ya doin' up there? This place is off limits."

Jerry stuttered. "Well…I…uh….Oh, never mind that, Pete. I lost my boy up there when the avalanche hit. Griffin's gone to look for 'im."

"And Cara's up there." Michael said. "We better go find them."

Jerry stopped him. "I wouldn't go back there if I were you."

"He's right, Mr. Knight. Look." Pete pointed towards the trail. "Those boulders are ready to give way. We try getting to 'em now, we'd be putting them and ourselves in a lot of danger. Better to go back and get a rescue team."

"But it's an emergency." Michael protested.

"Trust me. I saw where your girl and that car were buried and I know this mountain like the back of my hand. They'll be alright while we go for help."

Michael reluctantly gave in. "Okay. But let's hurry." They got into their vehicles and drove back to the resort.

* * *

Kitt and Cara continued to travel inside the cavern which was dark and wet. It was quiet, until there was a small squeak. Cara looked up and gasped. 

"Bats." She leaned against Kitt, putting her hand on him.

"There's nothing to fear. They're hibernating. Harmless really, in that state."

"Uh, yeah. Sure. I knew that." she said, trying to be unafraid. "If we find another opening can we turbo out that way?"

"It's a possibility. I don't recall there being any civilization on any other side. We should be getting close."

They traveled some more and then came to a stop. "Kitt, look!"

Before them was some kind of catacomb. Ice covered the cave floor, while stalactites and stalagmites protruded from up above and down below.

"It's some kind of water reserve." He rolled forward a couple of feet. "The ice appears to be thick enough. I should be able to make it across."

"Are you sure?"

"It's the only way to get to the other side of the mountain." Kitt opened his door. "Here. Get in."

Cara stepped back. "But what if the extra weight causes something to happen and you…"

"Your weight won't make any difference, I assure you. In."

She reluctantly got in and carefully closed the door behind her. "Have you ever done this before?" she asked him.

"Well, no." Kitt answered. "Michael and I have been on thin ice before…just not _literally_." She remained quiet, still not believing he was going through with it. "Everything will be fine. I promise, we'll go very slowly."

"Okay. But, Kitt? Just in case?"

"Yes?"

Cara leaned forward, wrapping her arms around the gullwing. "I'm glad you're with me."

She heard him smile. "The feeling's mutual." He readied himself. "Let's get this over with, alright?" She nodded.

Kitt began made his way across, inch by carefully plotted inch. If he dared to go any faster, the frozen stalactites could fall. He would have no time to get out of the way, and they could possibly break the ice, endangering himself and Cara in some way.

Cara remained as still as could be. She didn't want to do anything to shift Kitt's weight, or cause any more of the mountain to come crashing down on him. She did her best not to breathe.

They didn't notice the small crack starting on the other side of the ice floor.

Soon, Kitt was only a few feet from the other end. "We're almost there."

"Finally." Cara said, relieved. Then, they heard it.

_Snap. _

"What was that?" Cara asked.

Suddenly, the ice shifted underneath the car. They began to slide sideways. Cara shrieked. "Kitt! What's going on?"

"The ice on this end isn't strong enough to hold my weight." Kitt felt part of his systems beginning to get submerged in the water. "I'm sinking!"

Cara pressed several buttons. "Come on. We can still make it!"

"I'm trying! There's no traction on this ice." He was using all tools available to him, but nothing was working. Soon, the water would seep into his C.P.U. The door wouldn't open. He rolled down the window. "You'll have to make a break for it."

She looked at him. "Not without you."

"Cara, don't argue with me! Do as I say. Get out now!" Kitt hated to yell at her, but he had to get her to safety.

She grimaced, then turned and crawled out of the window. She was able to find her footing on the ice and made it the last few feet to the cave floor.

She looked back at Kitt. The front half of the car was still above water. He was so close. She slid back over to him, grabbing onto his prow with her bare hands.

"No! You'll hurt yourself! Go on without me."

"No. I won't leave you!" Cara held on desperately as the car sank further. All Kitt needed was some kind of push.

"That's it!" She got up and jumped into the cold water. She swam to the back of the Trans Am.

"What are you doing?"

"Trust me." She pushed him a little. Good, she could move him, but they still needed some kind of force pulling from the other end.

They heard another snapping noise. The largest stalactite was directly above them, and it was coming loose.

"Kitt, try your grappling hook. See if you can latch onto anything!" It took Kitt twice, put he was able to grab onto a rock.

"I've got something."

"Good. Pull!" She pushed him, making sure he didn't sink any more. Soon enough Kitt was able to roll to solid ground. Cara swam behind him. The large stalactite then came crashing down, exactly where she had been moments before, barely missing her body.

She swam the last couple feet and pulled herself up on the ground, near the car's front fender, exhausted.

"I thought I told you to go on without me."

Cara panted, trying to catch her breath. "I couldn't just leave you there, could I?" She coughed. "Well, you were right. We _did_ make it across."

But he wouldn't be discouraged from giving her a stern lecture. "Cara Angelia Knight, of all the dangerous, foolhardy things to do. If I were human right now, I'd…I'd…"

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Yes?"

Kitt then went silent, regarding her. Cara was as stubborn and aggravating as her father. But she was also very determined and loyal like him as well. _/Two very outstanding qualities in a female./_ he thought to himself.

"What would you do, Kitt?"

"I believe…I would…" Frustration then set in. _/I'd kiss you./_ "I'd thank you for saving me." was what he ended up saying.

"Don't mention it." She laughed as well as coughed again, then shivered.

"Most of my systems are waterlogged for the moment, Cara. So I can't run a medical analysis."

"How the rest of you?"

He performed a quick diagnostic. "Everything should be in perfect order once I dry out. And speaking of getting dry…" He opened his door. "I can't have you getting sick on _my _account. Best to get in, quickly." Cara got inside and Kitt immediately turned on his heater. Despite his best efforts, he feared she would still get sick from the freezing water.

Cara fell back against the seat, removing some of her wet clothes, and letting the air warm her. She wrapped the blanket from the back around herself. "Are we still going ahead with this?"

Just then, more stalactites came crashing down, splashing into the catacomb behind them.

"Well, we _can't_ very well go back the way we came." Kitt rolled forwards, slowly, keeping his scanner on full alert.

They both hoped there weren't anymore surprises up ahead.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Meanwhile, the others hurried back to the resort. Michael was quiet, as well as anxious, which Star could tell by how he was gripping her wheel. Soon, all three vehicles pulled up to the resort. Michael was the first to get out.

"Michael," Star said, "I think I need to tell you something about last night."

"Not now. We have to get help."

"Yeah, but…"

"Later." He and the other two men hurried up the walk to the main building.

Amy came out of the front door. "Jerry? Michael? What happened? There was this huge rumble and all the electricity went out."

Michael walked up to her. "Amy, there was an avalanche."

"An _avalanche_? Is everyone okay?"

"No," said Pete. "There's at least two people that were on the trail when it happened. One was Eric. Griffin's gone to look for him."

"Cara was up there too, Amy. Look, we've got to get to them. Can't you call someone to come in to help us?"

She looked around, quickly. "Well, there's the park rangers. But without electricity, I can't operate our emergency two-way radio." She thought a moment, then went over to her purse and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed a number.

"Hello, yes. This is Amy O'Rourke from the Dusty's Peak Resort. We've just experienced an avalanche and have at least two individuals who may need rescued. Connect me to the head ranger's office. Yes, I'll hold." Amy then spoke to the three men. "They'll bring up the equipment we'll need, as well as an ambulance, and police if we need it."

"Police?" Jerry asked. "Hold on now. No need to get them involved in this. For all we know, they may not have made it. We could just be wastin' our time."

Michael turned to him. "Are you kidding me? That's your son up there. And my daughter. Don't you even want to _try_ to get them out?"

"Well, of course I do. I'm a concerned father. But I seen this happen before. Not many people survive avalanche's around these parts. It'd just be a waste of money lookin' for 'em."

Michael made a short smirk. "You're some piece of work, you know that?" He turned to Amy. "Well?"

"One second. He said there's roads blocked everywhere because of the avalanche. They're going to have get a plow to get everything up here."

"How long is that gonna take?"

She asked the man on the other end of the line. "Several hours. He suggests we wait before we try a rescue as it might not be safe for us to go back up there."

Michael sighed, frustrated. "Yeah, that's easy for him to say."

He turned and walked out the door.

* * *

He made his way down the walkway and got inside the car. "Well," he said, sighing, "looks like it's going to take a while for help to arrive." 

"I'm sure they'll be alright, Michael." Star said. A beeping noise came from one of her monitors.

"What was that?"

"My data search. That's part of what I was trying to tell you earlier. Last night, Cara and I followed Griffin up towards the hiking trail. He was talking to Eric. They're both behind the incidents that have happened at the resort."

"Griffin and Eric? Are you sure?"

"Yes, Michael. Cara had me look at their records. There's nothing on Eric. Griffin has a few misdemeanors here and there. Mostly for getting into bar fights and the like. She wanted to tell you first thing this morning, but she must have overslept."

"And that's why she was out there." he sighed. He then sat up, thinking. "If Eric's in on this, chances are a man like his father is, too. Star, I want you to go through any files you can find on Jerry O'Rourke. Look for anything you can find that seems out of the ordinary."

"Right away."

Michael looked over at the huge mountainside.

'_I hope you're both okay.'_

_

* * *

_

The pair was slowly making their way through the cave. Cara looked about. "There has to be another opening somewhere." The auto cruise button was then activated, and they came to a stop.

"Why aren't we moving?" she asked Kitt.

"My turbine engine received a lot of water and temperature damage back there. It needs time to repair and recover."

"Too bad we can't get a hold of Bonnie." She looked up. "Kitt, is that movement I see up ahead?"

All that came up on his monitor was a lot of static. "I'm not able to tell."

Cara got out, and shut the door. She walked, forward ahead of him, and was just barely able to make out some movement. Maybe it was a rescue team! She called out loud.

"Hello? Is someone there? We need help!" She saw them move again. "Hey! Help!"

She waited to see if someone would answer. Instead, she heard a squeak, and then a shrieking noise, followed by several shrieking noises. They were coming closer. She could barely make out the small forms that were flying towards her.

Before she knew it, she was being swarmed by a colony of bats!

Kitt heard her shrieks. "Cara! Get inside!"

"I…can't!" She tried to shoo them away. "I can't even see where I'm going!" They were flapping at her head and crawling on her. One scratched her arm with its claw.

"Ow! Kitt! Do something!"

He went through the functions that he knew still worked. "Hold on, Cara. I think I've found something." He activated his sonar, adjusting it to just the right level. He projected the sound, and it hit the bats' overly sensitive ears. They left Cara alone, and flew off in the direction in which the two had just come from.

"Cara? Are you all right?"

She shook for a moment, making sure they were all gone. "I'm okay. I just have this one scratch on my arm though. Doesn't look like a bite mark."

"There's an emergency kit under the back seat."

She got back inside and pulled the kit out. She cleaned the wound using her damp clothing, then rubbed the ointment on it. Finally, she covered it using the cloth wrap.

"You still might need a rabies shot."

She looked at her arm. "It'll be okay. Now, tell me what else isn't working."

He performed another diagnostic. "Other than my turbine, my CPU was also partially submerged. I've lost access to over half my functions, and the other half is operating at low capacity." He stopped for a moment.

"Kitt?"

"There's something sticking to me. Something soft and warm…" He tried to analyzed the substance. "What...? What is this?" He made a disgusted groan. "Oh no! Not that!"

"What's wrong?"

"You won't _believe_ what my tyres are covered in thanks to those rats with wings! I'm going to need a thorough cleaning after this."

"Yeah. I would think so." Cara shivered. She noticed he was turning the heat up as much as he could. "You don't have to do that."

"I'll not have you catching your death of cold. Besides, my heating vents are one of the few features I can still operate."

She then felt guilty. "I'm really sorry, Kitt."

"For what?"

"For getting you trapped. If I hadn't gone after Michael, you wouldn't have followed after me. Now we're both stuck in here."

"Cara, if it hadn't been for _you_, Michael would have been buried in the avalanche. And who knows? Perhaps I would still be stranded in this tunnel. Then who would have saved me from being submerged back there?"

"So, you aren't mad that I got us into this?"

"Not at all. When I think of the situations your father has gotten me into…" He thought of something. "Wait a minute. Why were you trying to find Michael in the first place?"

_'What can I tell him?' _she thought. _'That I was looking for Michael because I had another vision?'_ Kitt would never understand.

"I had something I wanted to tell him."_ 'Well, that's part of the truth.'_

"You seemed awfully concerned."

"Well…I discovered who's behind all the accidents last night." She told him about following Griffin, and the conversation she had overheard with him and Eric.

"That was very dangerous to do, Cara. You could have been discovered."

"Star was with me. I was protected."

"You should have told Michael and myself the moment you came back."

"You were both sleeping." she responded.

"I saw you go in when you returned. You could have told me."

"But I wanted to tell Michael first thing in the morning. I overslept. I just wanted…"

He waited. "Yes?"

"I wanted to tell him myself, so he'd be proud of what I did."

"You think Michael isn't proud of you?"

"Well, he doesn't seem to have any _faith_ in me. All he's been giving me are soft cases and paperwork. He doesn't think I have what it takes." She became quiet.

"Cara, no matter what you may think, your father _does_ have faith in you. He's very proud of the person you've turned out to be. He doesn't doubt your ability to handle yourself for a minute."

"Then why not put me on harder cases?"

"He's your father. It's only natural for him to be overprotective every now and then. We both want to make sure you and Star have all the proper skills you need before you go out into the field."

She thought about what he said. "Well, I guess I can understand that. But I'd still rather not be on desk duty."

"Be patient. We'll be taking on those tougher cases soon enough."

"Guess you're right about that." For some reason, she liked how he included himself in that statement. She then yawned.

"I'm not able to make out the time in my databanks, but I'm guessing it's very late. We should both get some rest."

"Yeah, we should get an early start tomorrow." Cara pushed the seat back and curled up. Kitt was starting to shut some of his main functions down.

"Kitt?"

"Yes?"

"No matter what you may think, nothing happened with me and Eric last night."

He made a slight smiling sigh. "I already knew that, poppet."

She looked up at him. "You did? How did you know?"

"Because like Michael, I _also_ have faith in you. Goodnight, Cara."

"Goodnight, Kitt." She pulled the blanket up around herself, wondering if he noticed her blush.

* * *

Eric moved through the dark, the trees and the bushes, trying to make his way down the mountain. He wanted to get help for Cara, but right now he was trying to get away from Griffin, who was following behind, carrying a shot gun. 

"Eric?" the older man called. "I know you're there. Better get out here, boy." He followed the sound of footsteps and twigs snapping. "Come on out, ya hear?"

The younger man snuck under a ledge in the mountain side, waiting for him to pass on by. He was still as Griffin stopped near to where he was, then breathed a sigh of relief as he passed.

He was about to climb out, when his foot slipped on a patch of ice. He slid backwards, and fell inside a small opening, falling several feet before tumbling in a heap on the floor of the cave.

_

* * *

Thanks to Phoenix, for her help on this chapter. ;)_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A rescue team was dispatched, and was finally able to make their way up to Dusty's Peak. Michael followed behind them in Star, along with Amy and Pete in her truck, and Jerry in his limousine. The head ranger got out of his own truck, and assessed the situation. A helicopter flew overhead, letting him know how things looked from above.

Michael got out and walked over to him. "Well, what do you think?"

He looked the mountainside over quickly. "Looks like a good chunk of it came off. You say you last saw your daughter over here?" he asked, pointing.

"Yeah."

The ranger shook his head for a moment. "Pete's right. Those boulders look like they're about ready to come down."

"So would you say it's too dangerous to mount a rescue?" asked Jerry. Michael glared back at him.

"Probably is, Jerry." the ranger responded. "Don't worry, that's not going to stop us from trying." He called to his men and they started setting up equipment. Jerry grumbled heading towards his warm limo.

Michael walked back over to Amy and Pete.

"Oh, Michael. I'm sorry that Cara and Eric got trapped up there." Amy said. "I feel like this is my fault. If I had known that Dusty's Peak was this dangerous, I would have sold the resort earlier."

Pete rested a hand on her shoulder. "Now don't go blamin' yourself, Amy. This mountain here is real old. Dates back to my ancestors. From the Yakama tribe. Age probably had a hand in the snow coming down."

"Not really." came a female voice over the comlink. "I don't think the elements had anything to do with this avalanche, Mr. Higley." Amy and Pete gave Michael a confused look as he walked back over to his car.

"What do you have, Star?"

"There's traces of explosive material, and a newly made crater near the peak of the mountain. It looks like there was some kind of blast before the avalanche happened, Michael."

"So someone would start one on purpose?" asked Pete.

Amy looked Michael. "But who? And why?"

"Hey, chief!" called one of the rangers. "Someone's coming down the trail." Everyone came over and saw Griffin walking up. He was carrying a shot gun in one hand, and trying to keep warm with the other.

Amy ran over. "Griff! You're okay! Did you find Eric or anyone else?"

"Sorry to say I didn't, Amy." He turned to Jerry. "I looked all over for that boy. Couldn't find hide nor hair of him."

Jerry did his best to stay calm, after all, there was big money at stake. "Well, I reckon that settles it. Better to call the search off right now."

Michael turned around. "Now hold on a minute! They could all still be alive up there for all we know. Don't you think we should keep looking?"

Griffin turned to him. "Mr. Knight, I've covered almost every inch of that mountain. They've been buried in that snow for nearly a day now. Their chances of survival ain't good."

"I'm not giving up until we find them."

"Neither are we." The head ranger turned back to his men. "Alright. Get the transmitter over here. Let's see if we can find them using the beacon." Jerry and Griffin headed out of the way to talk privately.

Pete watched them. "Something don't seem right here. I think Jerry would be more worried about his boy than he is."

"Yeah, you're right." They walked back over to the silver Trans Am. "Star, did you find anything on Jerry O'Rourke?"

A few documents came up on her monitor. "A few things actually. He's been sued several times over fraud and other financial crimes. But they were all settled out of court."

Amy scoffed. "He would often ask our father for a loan to help him settle out of court."

Michael smirked. "Coming from a car salesman like that, it doesn't seem too surprising. Anything else?"

"Yes, I went and checked his phone records. He's been calling and receiving calls from I..A.G.S."

"I.A.G.S.?"

"What's that?"

"The International Association of Geological Study. They deal mainly with rare geological formations, how they relate to the life of early man."

Pete went quiet at that.

Michael thought a moment. "Star, check Griffin's records. See if they've been calling him too."

She went through them. "He's been placing calls to them, Michael. As well as quite a few to Mr. O'Rourke himself."

Amy shook her head. "Michael, I don't understand. Why would Jerry be interested in an organization like that?"

He looked over at the men. "I don't know. But we better keep a close eye on those two."

* * *

Cara continued to drive through Dusty's Peak. She looked around. "I thought we'd be at the other side of the mountain by now."

"My engine is still drying out." Kitt scanned what he could. "This tunnel is quite unusual. Definitely man-made, several centuries ago."

"We'll take a more relaxed tour later." Cara shivered. "Right now, I'd give anything to be sitting in front of a warm fire."

"How about if I treat you to some hot chocolate after we get out of here?"

She made a small laugh. "Sounds good. And I'll have Bonnie treat you to a tune up, and a hot wash and a wax."

"I can't wait. It'll be nice to finally be rid of all this muck."

She chuckled and pat his wheel, then looked up. "Something's moving up there." She got out and shut the door, starting to walk ahead.

"I hope it isn't anymore bats."

Cara squinted her eyes. "I don't…think so. Kitt, turn your headlights on as bright as you can."

He did and slowly rolled behind her. His scanner tried to see what it was. "I'm not able to tell, but it could very well be a human form."

Cara walked ahead a few more feet. "Hello? Is someone there?" She heard the sound of someone coughing, and ran ahead. She stopped just in front of the form. "Hello?" When Kitt finally pulled up, his lights flashed, allowing her to make out who it was.

"Eric?"

"Cara?" He coughed again, and was favoring his shoulder. "Thank God you're alright." He took a couple steps towards her.

"Stay away from me."

"I saw you and your car get trapped in here, so I came looking for ya."

"Yeah, right. Like you care what happens to the guests at the resort."

"What are you talking about?"

"I followed you the other night, Eric. I know you and Griffin are behind the accidents. How could you do that to your aunt?"

"I didn't want to. My dad told me it would pay off in the end if the resort was sold. That we'd all be rich."

"So your dad wants her to sell the resort to share in the profits, is that it?"

"No. Not exactly. He wants the mountain, not the resort."

Kitt then spoke. "Cara, on our way up here, I scanned the premises."

Eric looked over Cara's shoulder. "Who was that?"

She ignored him. "What did you find, Kitt?"

"There is no oil in the general area. Nor are there any precious metals or minerals out of the ordinary that would require the resort to be shut down in order to be collected."

"We weren't looking for oil."

"What then?" asked Cara.

Eric sighed. "There's a natural water reserve back there." He pointed in the direction she had just come from. "My dad found out and told Griffin. They've been trying to get Aunt Amy to sell the resort ever since."

"Just for water?"

"Not just any water. Water reserves like that are rare, and some big organization's been offering money to my dad so they can study it. He said it's probably the only one like it in North America."

"And would be worth a lot of money to those who deal in anthropology. So you're all behind the accidents at the resort?"

"Just when your cabin got trashed. Griffin's been setting Peter up for the rest of it. He stole one of his bricks from his property to smash the cabin window. Even stealing Pete's keys to break the lift."

"I suppose you three were behind the avalanche as well." said Kitt.

He nodded. "I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt. Just to scare my aunt so she would give up the resort. I just got caught up in this."

"Well," said Cara, "We're still going to have to go to the authorities and let them know about this."

"I'll go to jail."

"Not if you cooperate. I'm sure we can work something out."

Eric raised an eyebrow. "You a cop too?"

"Maybe. But first we'll have to get that shoulder of yours looked at."

Just then, there was another rumble and the earth underneath them began to shake. Rocks were falling down. Both of them nearly stumbled.

Kitt opened his doors. "Cara. Eric. Get in, quickly."

They both made their way over and got inside. "What's going on?"

"The ground here is highly unstable. Part of this mountainside is starting to cave in."

"We'll have to go back." said Eric.

"No good." Cara told him. "We just came from there yesterday. The lake's too dangerous and deep to cross. Especially for Kitt."

"Who?"

"Kitt, you have any ideas?"

"Might I suggest straight ahead?"

"I don't see any other way out."

"Whoa." Eric grabbed her arm. "We can't go in that direction. I fell in through a hole on that side, and the mountain caved in after me. There's no chance we'll get out that way."

"Don't be too sure of that." They drove forward, going up and down, picking up speed.

"Cara, we should be nearing the end of the tunnel any second now." Kitt informed her.

"Alright." she said, hitting the gas as hard as she could. "I hope at least _two_ of your functions came back online!" She pressed a button, and the trajectory guide appeared on the monitor. They were suddenly going up a steep incline, nearing the other side of the cave wall.

"Kitt, you said there was nothing on the other side of this mountain that would be in danger?"

"That's right, Cara. We should have a smooth landing."

"Okay. I'm going to hold ya to that. But Eric? Just in case? You might want to hang on!"

He held on to what he could, as Cara reached over to press turbo boost.

* * *

Outside, Jerry pulled Griffin aside. "So you couldn't find Eric?"

"Nope. Followed his tracks the best I could until it got dark. He could have met up with a cougar for all I know."

Jerry got an irritated look on his face. "That boy should've stayed put. And we still got to find a way to get Amy to give up this land." He lifted up his cowboy hat to wipe the sweat from his bald head.

"I still got something we can use." said Griffin. They went to the back of his truck. He looked around before pulling a tarp from on top of a box.

Jerry looked at the crate of dynamite. "Good thinkin', Grif. This'll come in handy."

"We'll wait until everyone leaves. They're bound to stop lookin' soon. When Amy, Pete, and Knight are back at the resort, we'll cause an even bigger avalanche from the north. We can't miss it from that side. Then they'll _all_ be outta the way."

"I like the way you think, Griffin." He patted him on the back.

Michael looked on, wondering why the two men looked so amused. "Star, scan the back of Griffin's truck. I want to know what they're up to."

Star was about to scan, when a large rumbling noise was heard.

Amy grabbed onto the side of a nearby vehicle. "Is it an earthquake?"

"Or another avalanche." Pete said.

Star did a scan of the area. "No, it's coming from the west of the peak." Everyone turned in that direction, and mouths dropped as a black Trans Am blasted its way out from the mountainside.

"Keep it steady, Kitt!"

"Somehow I didn't think _I_ would be the one skiing on this vacation." He did a quick analysis. "Cara, I'm starting to lose traction."

"Activate traction spikes!"

They shot out of his tyres, allowing him to navigate through the snow and ice. The three managed to slide down without hitting any trees or cliffs. Cara drove down one last steep incline before reaching the road and racing towards the others. There, she came to a stop. Everyone hurried over, except for Jerry and Griffin who stayed at the back of the small crowd.

Michael was instantly at their side. "Cara?" He opened the door and she went into his arms, hugging him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I'm glad to be out of there."

"Kitt?"

"Most of my functions are returning, but I'll need Bonnie."

"I'll have Star get in touch with her."

"Eric!" Amy ran over as he got out of the car. "Thank goodness. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Aunt Amy. I'm fine. Just my shoulder."

Pete walked over. "Alright. I wanna know. What were you all doing up there?"

"Ask Jerry O'Rourke and Griffin Thompson." said Cara. "They've been trying to sabotage the resort from the beginning."

"What?" asked Amy.

"Hogwash." Jerry said. "Must be the altitude gettin' to her."

"No. Eric told me everything. You've been using Griffin and your son to scare Amy into so you can get your hands on the land, and sell it to the highest bidder."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh no?" asked Michael. "Does the organization I.A.G.S. ring a bell?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You've been in contact with them quite a lot these past few weeks, haven't ya? Must be something on this land that would be of interest to them."

Jerry started to sweat. "What do ya mean? There's no gold up here."

"No." said Cara. "But there _is _a natural water preserve inside the cave."

"There's no such thing."

"Oh? Kitt and I took a swim in it last night."

"Not a pleasant experience." Kitt added. "But there most definitely is a subterranean lake up there."

"That's just a myth." said Griffin.

"It's no myth." Pete shouted. He came closer. "That water has been a secret of my ancestors for centuries. The Yakama dug the tunnels and used it to help see them through the hot summer months. They called it…"

"The Giver of Life." Cara finished for him.

He nodded. "The only person outside the tribe that was ever told about it, was Dusty O'Rourke. He kept a record of it along with the rest of his documents in his office."

"Which…_Jerry_ went through after our father died." said Amy.

"And since Dusty O'Rourke left the land to his daughter," concluded Michael, "Jerry, Griffin, and Eric decided to sabotage the resort so Amy would sell it to him, and they could share in the profits."

Amy turned to her nephew. "Is this true, Eric?"

He looked to his father, who was staring at him. "Yeah. It's true. We tried to ruin your business. I'm sorry, Aunt Amy." Jerry and Griffin started walk away.

The head ranger turned around. "Well, Jerry. I'm afraid I'm going to have to place ya under…hey!" Both men were starting to run away. Jerry hopped into the cabin of a truck while Griffin dove into the bed. Michael jumped inside of Star, racing ahead, with Cara and Kitt following after.

Griffin removed the lid from the crate and took out a lighter.

Michael was following behind. "Star, what's he got there?"

She scanned the item. "Dynamite, Michael. Several sticks from the looks of it."

"Did you hear that, Cara?" Michael called back.

"Yeah, we did."

"Be careful."

Griffin took out a stick and lit it. He threw it from the truck. Both Star and Kitt swerved to either side. It exploded, just barely missing the van belonging to the head ranger who was following them. He pulled over. Griffin lit another stick and tossed it. Both cars swerved again in the opposite directions.

"They're heading towards the resort." said Kitt.

"We have to stop them before they hurt somebody." Cara stepped on the gas, racing ahead. She made a sharp turn to try and block the road. That caught Jerry off guard. The truck grazed the side of the car and went up into the air. It turned over and landed on its roof, catching on fire.

Both cars came to a stop. Jerry fell out of the cabin. Michael jumped out and grabbed hold of him. Cara parked nearby. She saw Griffin pull himself out from under the fiery wreckage. He started to run.

Cara went after him, with Kitt following her. He drove ahead, swinging his back end around, causing Griffin to fall down. Cara ran up to grab a hold of him and he tried to get away. "Oh no you don't." and with that, she punched him. A few seconds later, the truck exploded.

"Come on." Cara dragged Griffin back over to where Michael and Jerry where. Star was using her CO2 to put out the blaze.

"Star, when you're done, call the other rangers. Let them know we're bringing these guys in. And try to get a hold of Bonnie."

"Okay, Michael."

He turned around as Cara and Kitt came up to them, bringing Griffin. "Not bad, Cara. Not bad at all."

"Thanks. I don't think these two will be making any business deals anytime soon." Both suspects looked tired and defeated as they were held to be taken away.

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The next day, the semi was brought to the resort, so Bonnie could work on Kitt. She tuned him up, checked his CPU and other major systems, then went to look his interior over. "Kitt, it's going to take a while for your upholstery to dry out."

"Believe me, Bonnie. Swimming in a lake was not part of my agenda on this trip."

Amy was busy helping Michael pack his and Cara's things into Star's trunk. "Are you sure you have to go, Michael? You and Cara are paid up for another day."

"Yeah. I'll have paperwork to fill out on this case when I get back to the Foundation. But are you sure you'll be alright with things here?"

"We should be. I.A.G.S. made me a very generous offer. One where they can study the lake, but also allow us to keep the resort open, and not disturb the land of Pete's ancestors. With some of the money, we can even afford to make some repairs around here. And best of all, no more Jerry."

"He won't be bothering you for a while. The Foundation will help see to that."

"Thanks. Um…Maybe I can convince you to come back next year?" she asked.

He smiled back. "It's a date." He leaned in, and they kissed softly.

Cara walked along with Eric, her arm wrapped where she was scratched by the bats. She watched as Bonnie worked on Kitt. "So are you going back on the slopes again?"

"Not for a couple more weeks. Doctor said I need to rest my shoulder for a while before I try to maneuver downhill. After that ride we took yesterday, I'm eager to try some new moves out."

"It won't be the same as gliding down in a Trans Am."

"True. I guess you and Kitt helped me change my mind about older models. I may just opt to get one of those instead once I earn the money. Uh, honestly of course."

"That's good to hear."

"I'm lucky Aunt Amy decided not to fire me. Look, Cara. I want to thank you for what you did for me and my aunt. It means a lot."

"Eric…."

"Lemme finish. I know what you said the other night and I respect that. And I'm sure you've got someone in else your life, but maybe we can hang out sometime? Just as friends?"

"Sure." She felt relieved, but also a little confused. "But what do you mean by someone else? I told you I was single."

"Just a feeling." He had noticed how she was looking at her friend since they had come out of the mountainside, the way she fussed over him. Eric knew Cara's heart was with someone else. "I hope he knows how lucky he is." He hugged her. "See ya next year?"

"Count on it." she said, waving as he walked away, still not understanding what he meant. Cara turned and faced Kitt, who was still behind the semi, watching her and Eric as well, also feeling relieved.

"So how is he?" Michael asked Bonnie.

She shut his hood. "He should be in good working order now. He's still a little damp." She wiped her wet hands on her coat. "But he'll be at a hundred percent soon enough. Just like all those other messes _you _got him into."

"What do you mean?"

"Like father, like daughter?" she teased.

"I heard that." said Cara, walking up. "We all packed?"

"Yeah, I think we're all set." said Michael. "I'll just drive Kitt into the semi, and you and Star can…"

Kitt interrupted him. "Actually, Michael, Cara and I still have some unfinished business to take care of."

"We do?" she asked.

"Yes. I promised you hot chocolate, and I believed you promised _me_ a hot wash and a wax. After this so called '_vacation'_, I could use one."

"Actually, hot chocolate doesn't sound too bad right about now." Cara smiled and got inside his cabin.

"I think I saw a diner and a car wash back in town." said Bonnie.

"Great. How about we take the scenic route?"

"Good idea." Kitt responded. "It will give me a chance to dry out and for _us _to take in the scenery." Cara pulled him out the parking lot, and drove down the road.

"Those two are becoming good friends, aren't they?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah." Michael said, thoughtfully. "They are."

An employee of the resort then walked up to him. "Hey, this your car?" the man asked, pointing to Star.

"Uh…yeah. Kinda. Is something wrong?"

"Yes. I know don't know how, but it broke my snow blower."

Michael turned around. "Star?"

"Michael, I didn't." she said, innocently. "This man was spraying me with snow, so I just…I thought…."

"Yeah?"

"Kitt told me to do it!"

"So who's going to pay for a new machine?" the employee asked annoyed.

"Well, Star?"

"I uh…. You know, I just remembered. I could use a wash myself." She pulled out from the lot. "Hey, Kitt! Cara! Wait up!"

"Get back here!" yelled the man. "Someone's gotta pay for my machine!"

Michael and Bonnie just looked on, laughing.

* * *

The End 

_Thanks to Phoenix for allher help and the beta read. _


End file.
